HC: I heard you mention that the MPAA gave the film an R rating, but when you asked what you could cut to get a PG-13, they said nothing, that “The Conjuring” was just too scary. That had to be a little unexpected.

JW: It’s just one of those things. It’s not a violent film, not by a long shot, certainly not as violent as some action films that get PG-13. It’s not gory. I was surprised that I got the R rating. But I guess certain things you can’t change. They felt the movie felt too adult. I think that’s a good thing. This is the biggest compliment I can take away from it — I didn’t make a teenage horror film, I made an adult horror movie. And they don’t make adult horror movies anymore.

I just got back from seeing it, and it's really one of the best horror flicks I've seen in a long, long time. It's got a definite The Exorcist vibe to it, slow burn, leading up to the climax, which doesn't disappoint.